Tunneling device including expandable section

Abstract

A tunneling device includes a body assembly, an expander coupled to the body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, and a tip coupled to the expander. The expander is disposed between a force transmitter and the tip. The expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The first width of the expander is equal to or less than the width of the tip. The force transmitter is configured to deliver a force through the expander to the tip to move the tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis with the expander in the second configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tunneling device comprising:
 a body assembly; 
 an expander coupled to said body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein said expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; 
 a tip coupled to said expander, wherein said tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first width of said expander is equal to or less than the width of said tip; and 
 a force transmitter coupled to said expander, wherein said expander is disposed between said force transmitter and said tip, and wherein said force transmitter is configured to deliver a force through said expander to said tip to move said tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis with said expander in the second configuration, wherein said force transmitter has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second width of said expander is equal to or greater than the width of said force transmitter. 
 
     
     
       2. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising a shaft coupled to said force transmitter and extending through a bore defined in said expander, wherein said shaft is configured to move relative to said expander in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       3. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the second width of said expander is greater than the width of said tip. 
     
     
       4. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the first width of said expander is less than the width of said force transmitter. 
     
     
       5. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said tip comprises a tunnelling tool configured to displace material and form a tunnel as said tip moves, wherein said expander is configured to fit into the tunnel formed by said tip when said expander is in the first configuration, and wherein said expander is configured to engage a sidewall of the tunnel and resist radial movement of said tip when said expander is in the second configuration. 
     
     
       6. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said tip comprises at least one of a sensor and/or a repair tool, and wherein said tip is configured to perform a maintenance operation within a tunnel. 
     
     
       7. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 6 , further comprising a pressurized fluid source and a fluid line coupled between said expander and said pressurized fluid source, wherein said expander comprises a bladder configured to transition said expander from the first configuration to the second configuration when pressurized fluid is delivered to said bladder via said fluid line, and transition said expander from the second configuration to the first configuration when the pressurized fluid is removed from said bladder. 
     
     
       8. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said body assembly comprises:
 a first section; and 
 a second section coupled to said first section, wherein said first section and said second section are configured to move said body assembly through an underground location. 
 
     
     
       9. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein said first section and said second section of said body assembly are coupled to a fluid line, and wherein said first section and said second section are configured to selectively adjust their size and move said body assembly when a pressurized fluid is delivered to or removed from said first section and said second section through said fluid line. 
     
     
       10. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein said first section of said body assembly is configured to switch from a first configuration having a first length and a first width to a second configuration having a second length and a second width, and wherein said second section of said body assembly is configured to switch from a third configuration having a third length and a third width to a fourth configuration having a fourth length and a fourth width. 
     
     
       11. The tunneling device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said force transmitter comprises a housing and an actuator disposed within the housing, wherein said force transmitter is configured to deliver a force through said expander to said tip to move said tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis when power is delivered to said actuator, and wherein said actuator comprises a reciprocating impact device. 
     
     
       12. A system for use in maintaining a tunnel, said system comprising:
 a tunneling device comprising:
 a body assembly comprising a force transmitter; 
 an expander coupled to said body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein said expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and 
 a tip coupled to said expander and configured to move relative to said expander, wherein said expander is disposed between said force transmitter and said tip, wherein said tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first width of said expander is equal to or less than the width of said tip; and 
 
 a controller communicatively coupled to said tunneling device, said controller configured to provide instructions to move said body assembly. 
 
     
     
       13. The system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said controller is configured to send instructions to said force transmitter to cause said force transmitter to deliver a force through said expander to said tip to move said tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein said force transmitter has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the second width of said expander is equal to or greater than the width of said force transmitter. 
     
     
       14. The system in accordance with  claim 12  further comprising a pressurized fluid source and a fluid line coupled to said pressurized fluid source and to said expander, wherein said expander comprises a bladder configured to transition said expander from the first configuration to the second configuration when pressurized fluid is delivered to the bladder via the fluid line, and transition said expander from the second configuration to the first configuration when the pressurized fluid is removed from said bladder via the fluid line, wherein said bladder is constrained by reinforcement fibers having a reinforcement angle that is selected to arrest deformation of said bladder at a pre-defined setpoint. 
     
     
       15. The system in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said body assembly comprises a first section and a second section coupled to said second first section, and wherein said first section and said second section are configured to selectively adjust their size and move said body assembly when the pressurized fluid is delivered to or removed from said first section and said second section via said fluid line. 
     
     
       16. The system in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said controller is located on board said tunneling device. 
     
     
       17. A method for maintaining a tunnel having a sidewall defining an interior cavity, said method comprising:
 moving a tunneling device through an underground location, the tunneling device including:
 a body assembly including a plurality of sections and a force transmitter; 
 an expander coupled to the body assembly and extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the expander is expandable in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis between a first configuration having a first width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second configuration having a second width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and 
 a tip coupled to the expander and configured to move relative to the expander, wherein the expander is disposed between the force transmitter and the tip, wherein the tip has a width measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the first width of the expander is equal to or less than the width of the tip; and 
 
 switching the expander between the first configuration and the second configuration. 
 
     
     
       18. The method in accordance with  claim 17 , further comprising delivering, using the force transmitter coupled to the expander, a force through the expander to the tip to move the tip in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       19. The method in accordance with  claim 18 , further comprising displacing material to form the tunnel as said the tip moves, wherein the expander is configured to fit into the tunnel formed by the tip when the expander is in the first configuration, and wherein the expander is configured to engage the sidewall of the tunnel and resist radial movement of the tip when the expander is in the second configuration. 
     
     
       20. The method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein switching the expander between the first configuration and the second configuration comprises delivering pressurized fluid to the expander to switch the expander from the first configuration to the second configuration or removing pressurized fluid from the expander to switch the expander from the second configuration to the first configuration. 
     
     
       21. The method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein moving the tunneling device through the underground location comprises sequentially adjusting a length and a width of each section of the plurality of sections of the body assembly.